Darkest Dream
by thepurplewriter333
Summary: What-if for RTTE Season 6: Darkest Night. [Hiccstrid. Father/son bonding. Whump.] What if Hiccup was the one that was injured during a night patrol instead of Stoick? Though in a coma and seemingly dying, it's a fight for life as Hiccup finds himself battling more than just the injuries he's suffered.
1. Chapter 1

**Sorry for the delay in posting… sadly, my grandmother passed away last Tuesday and we had to travel out of town for her funeral. We just got back late last night and I hadn't had much time to get back into writing yet. But at least she's in Heaven now. :)**

 **Anyways, thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy this new what-if!**

* * *

 **Chapter One**

Hiccup, in short, was going to die.

At least, that was what it felt like. His head pounded with a vengeance, his back ached from the hard fall, and his arm was on fire. Toothless was nowhere to be seen, having been separated in the crash, and he didn't know when help was going to arrive. _If_ it did at all. It wasn't as if he'd exactly told anyone where he was…

Forcing his eyes open, he faintly saw the remaining Dragon Flyers approaching him from the distance, but for some reason, he didn't care anymore. He was in too much pain to spare the energy. All he wanted to do was roll over and give up.

But the thought of his friends and family sparked a flicker of movement in his legs. Jaw set and teeth grit, Hiccup started to claw his way towards a nearby boulder, planning to take cover behind it until help arrived.

Shaking his head, Hiccup spat out the blood that came from his injured tongue and reached out to grasp his palm against the rock. He knew he had to fight to survive, until the gruesome end.

The roars of angry Singetails bellowed from above him. The world shimmered with fire as the grass was set ablaze, and Hiccup was dismayed to realize that he was out of time. The Flyers were already upon him, he was seriously injured, and there was no one left to rescue him now.

And that was why Hiccup Haddock knew he was going to die.

* * *

 **TWO DAYS EARLIER**

"Hiccup, your father has it handled," Astrid continued, leaning against the side of Hiccup's hut with her arms folded. She stared at Hiccup with a pointed expression, as if she was wondering why he hadn't already given into her argument by now. "Hiccup? Are you listening to me?"

"Hmm?" Hiccup looked up from Toothless's tailfin, looking slightly surprised. "Yes. Right. Sorry, I was just working on this new tailfin here – it should be much handier the next time we're fighting against the Flyers. Light but strong, sleek but maneuverable… and _almost_ fireproof."

Astrid raised her brow quizzically. "Almost?"

"Almost," Hiccup agreed, unfazed as he returned to his work.

Astrid sighed. "Hiccup, how many hours of sleep have you gotten in this past week, exactly?"

"Can't say I know."

"Three, Hiccup. Three. Not good." She ran a hand down her face. "What you're doing, Hiccup – it's not healthy. To you, or to the team. I know you want to help, I really do, but wearing yourself into the ground isn't going to solve our problems. You've already done the last two night patrols, so why insist on doing Berk's too? Haven't you done enough already?"

Hiccup looked up at her for a long moment before his eyes dropped. He shook his head. "Astrid, to tell you the truth… I'm worried."

"About what?"

"My dad."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Really? Hiccup, if anyone can handle Johann and his Flyers, it's your father. Why are you worried about him, anyway? It's not like Stoick hasn't faced the Flyers before."

"I know, but… I'm worried that Johann knows my weakness. My friends, my family…" Hiccup sighed. "And that's including my dad. And-and he's targeting Berk for that reason because he knows it hurts me. He's going to keep doing it, too, until he's won. But I can't stand by and watch any longer. I want to check up on Dad, anyway, so I might as well take on the night patrol too." At Astrid's unamused expression, he let out an exasperated sigh. "Alright. Alright, then I'll-I'll sleep for a week. I promise."

For a moment, Hiccup was sure she was going to argue further, but Astrid slowly tipped her head once she was done thinking. "Fine. One night. _One,"_ she held out a pointed finger, "and that's it. Got it?"

Hiccup grinned up at her. "Perfectly. One night, and then I'm coming home."

Yeah, right.

* * *

He reached Berk the following morning and had a small but joyful reunion with his father who, after some talking, also complained that Hiccup wasn't sleeping enough. Hiccup had just laughed him off, and thankfully the chief had moved onto other things, such as the attacking Flyers.

That evening, Hiccup started his patrol.

There'd been no sight of any Flyers around. A bit of a waste of time, but at least he had Toothless to keep him company. Morning gradually rose with another sleepless night, and an exhausted Hiccup started to wonder if he'd ever sleep again.

The day passed ever so slowly. Hiccup was long past prepared to get a good rest that night before heading back to the Edge, but an alert from the village stirred his attention.

"A group of Flyers has been sighted a few miles north of here!" a Berkian yelled as he burst into the Great Hall. "Near our storage hut, too!"

That was when Hiccup knew he had to seize the opportunity. He'd patrol again that night… _alone._

He'd slipped off unnoticed. Toothless had slept away his exhaustion that afternoon and was prepared for the possible fight ahead, but Hiccup very clearly was not. The heavy purple bags under his eyes and disheveled look were only the beginning of the long road of sleep deprivation.

Dusk set in and the sunset was washed away with dark colors of the night. Hiccup prepared himself for another long twelve hours of waiting, but he was not prepared to almost immediately be surrounded by Flyers.

"Toothless!" he yelled, leaping onto his dragon's back. They took off quickly, speed on their side, and fired at the other Flyers once they were close enough.

But the odds weren't even, and Toothless was quickly depleted of nearly all his shots.

With Toothless's last plasma blast, they'd fired at the smallest of the Singetails, but it hardly seemed to faze it. Hiccup's grip on the saddle tightened with anxiousness. He was alone, against six nasty Dragons Flyers who wanted nothing more than him dead.

"Toothless, dive!" he yelled, but it'd been too late. There were too many of them and only one of him. He'd gone down in an angry blaze, being thrown off Toothless on the way.

In the end, the impact had been the worst. It even bypassed the way he'd slammed his head against the ground and the way his arm snapped like a twig underneath him. No, the worst was the sickening thump as he hit the ground and all the breath was knocked out of him, unable to gasp, breathe, or even move.

Hiccup laid there for a minute, struggling to regain his senses. There was no way he was getting out of this by himself, he reasoned. His head injury made everything seem as if it was clouded in a dense fog, and the pain in his arm was impossible to ignore. He might be able to crawl a few feet away, but then what? He couldn't hold off the Flyers without Toothless who was missing, and no one was going to check up on him at least until morning.

"Gods," he whispered, suddenly feeling utterly and completely useless. "Gods, no. Gods."

So, as Hiccup Haddock laid there in the cold and dark, grasping at the last straws of life, he knew this time for _sure_ … he was going to die.

* * *

"What do you mean, you don't know where he is?"

Stoick scratched his beard, worry lines deepening across his forehead. "Well, lass, it isn't as if I've been able to check up on him every minute. I'm the Chief around here, you know. Saw him head back to his hut a while ago and haven't seen him since – I thought he must be asleep."

Astrid slammed her foot on the Great Hall floor. She'd flown from the Edge to Berk in less than twenty-four hours to see how Hiccup was doing, only to be greeted by _this?_ "Well, he's not there," she breathed. "Which means wherever he is, it can't be good. What if something's happened?"

"Astrid, he's a Haddock," Stoick assured her. "He's born to survive."

"He's _Hiccup,"_ Astrid said irritably. "He's born to find trouble."

Stoick eyed her for a moment, and then nodded. He stood up from the table where Berk's other supervisors sat and began walking her towards the door. "Right. There were some Flyers spotted a few hours ago… and Hiccup seemed to pay special attention to the news, now that I think about it."

"Where?" Astrid demanded.

"Near the storage hut. North of here."

Astrid did not need to be told twice. "Let's go."

* * *

As they neared the small island only ten minutes later, though they struggled to see clearly in the dark, Astrid spotted the Dragon Flyers firing at something on it and her heart leaped into her throat. Who were they aiming at… and why?

Taking a look beside her, she saw that Stoick looked equally as concerned, his pale skin gleaming in the moonlight.

"Come on!" the chief ordered as he pushed Skullcrusher forward. He dove towards the Flyers, firing on his way down, and soon engaged the Flyers. The men quickly scattered in the air as Stormfly and Skullcrusher drew near and eventually backed up in retreat once the two proved too powerful.

"Yeah, you better run!" Astrid yelled as they flew away. "And if you ever come back, I'll kill you!"

"Easy, lass," Stoick grunted, coming up beside her. "They're leaving. And the way we showed them, I don't think they'll be coming back anytime soon." He patted Skullcrusher's side in relief.

Astrid's eyes widened, getting the feeling that something was still very wrong. "Where's Hiccup?"

The first traces of alarm went off inside of them. Hiccup had most likely been on night patrol around the island tonight, having sneaked off, but why wasn't he here now? Uneasiness stirred inside Astrid. He'd been alone against six Flyers, completely unprepared for a fight. The odds were not good.

"Hiccup!" Stoick gasped, turning Skullcrusher and diving to the island below them. "Son! Where are you?"

Astrid followed Stoick's lead, unable to breathe or think as she looked around. The worst pictures floated before her mind. Hiccup and Toothless, lying bloodied on the grass as they struggled to stay alive. Or worse – not alive at all.

She shuddered, willing the horrific image to go away.

"I see something over here!" Stoick yelled, and her eyes snapped to where he was headed. There was a pile of rocks gathered in the shadows, along with a crumpled form hidden within them. It wasn't moving.

Astrid's breath hitched, and she prayed to the gods that it wasn't Hiccup. Anyone but him. _Please._

Stoick dropped near the boulders and immediately slid off Skullcrusher, running towards the shadowed spot. Astrid had just landed next to him as he reached down and pulled the figure out, revealing the cruel image of the broken form of his son.

"It's him," whispered Stoick, gathering up and cradling the bloodied Hiccup in his arms. "Oh, gods. It's him."

Astrid's mind rushed, and blood roared in her ears. It was him – it was Hiccup. And now he was going to die because she hadn't gotten there in time. Because she hadn't been there to help him when he needed her most.

"Find Toothless," Stoick choked out, and his head bowed with the weight of the world suddenly placed on his shoulders. "We're bringing him and my boy home."

* * *

If one looked at Hiccup from a distance, his injuries would not have seemed so bad. At least at first. Treatable, one would presume. The boy was lucky to have survived the fight with such minimal damage.

But if they looked closer, the bruises and cuts lining his brow would almost multiply. There was not an inch of his body that was not covered in blood. His arm was painfully bent at the elbow and the back of his feathery brown hair was soaked with blood.

Astrid could not look away from any of it as they flew back to Berk, praying that he would last one more minute and stay alive. Maybe even open his eyes and tell her he was alright, just like he always did.

But Hiccup was unresponsive to anything around him. Even Toothless, who they'd rescued from the angry sea below and was panicked to find his rider in such an injured state. He'd licked Hiccup's face over and over again in hopes of him waking, but with no reaction.

Whatever condition Hiccup was in, he was unable to wake from it. He was stuck in the same trance for what looked to be forever.

Astrid barely remembered the flight back. She'd hardly lifted her eyes from Hiccup who was cradled in his father's lap, in fear that he'd stop breathing and die if she looked away.

Once they reached Berk's shorelines, they landed next to Gothi's hut and Stoick carried Hiccup inside, laying him tenderly on the bed before turning to Astrid. His usual stoic expression was paled, fear for his son overtaking him. "Go get Gothi," he ordered. "Now!"

And Astrid ran.

The other riders, who'd joined her on her expedition to Berk, greeted her once she made her way into the village, asking where she'd been and where was Hiccup. Astrid hadn't bothered to answer, only set on getting Gothi who was just coming back from treating a sick child in town.

"Gothi," Astrid panted when she saw the woman coming her way, grabbing her by the arm and tugging her towards the medical hut. "It's Hiccup. He's hurt."

Gothi looked alarmed but didn't stop to inquire further, only picking up her pace to meet Astrid's. The other riders, however, gathered around Astrid with questions on Hiccup's well-being. "What happened?" Fishlegs squeaked, struggling to keep up with everyone else. "How is he? Is it bad?"

"Yes, it's bad!" Astrid snapped once they reached Gothi's hut, pushing open the door and gesturing inside. She stared at the riders with heavy eyes. "He's in there, okay? Just… look."

They entered the hut and looked.

"Holy Thor," Snotlout breathed, looking stricken at the battered sight of his cousin. "Is he… is-is he…"

"He's alive," Stoick said, coming up to Hiccup's side with Gothi. "And he'll stay alive. Haddocks don't go down easy… now, what does it look like, Gothi? When will he be waking up?"

The old woman inspected Hiccup's face for a long minute before she propped up his head. She fingered the back of his hair for a few seconds before looking deeply concerned. A few more pokes and prods and then Hiccup's head was gently set down. Gothi looked up at Stoick, Astrid, and the others, and then waved her hands to usher them away.

"She needs privacy," Stoick muttered, but still looked uneasy in leaving his son. Nonetheless, he took Astrid by the shoulder and guided her as well as the other riders out of the hut.

 _Privacy?_ Astrid thought once they were outside, wringing her hands as she started to pace. _That's bad. Privacy means something's wrong, and when it comes to Hiccup, 'wrong' is twenty times worse than usual._ _But how_ much _worse?_

Gazing hopelessly at the healer's hut, she found herself wondering if Hiccup even would last the night.

* * *

They couldn't tell how bad the head injury was. At least, not yet. Until Hiccup woke up, Gothi had no way of telling what damage had been done to him and how to treat it.

But that was exactly the problem. Hiccup _wasn't_ waking up _._

Not when Gothi set his broken arm. Not when she cleaned his wounds in case of infection. Not even when a desperate Astrid poured a cup of cold water over his face in an attempt to rouse him.

He wasn't waking up.

* * *

A day passed. Hiccup's condition still didn't change. Gothi gathered Stoick, Gobber, and the riders in her hut, looking grave as she wrote down her diagnosis. Each symbol seemed to last centuries to write. But at last, she was finished and pulled her cane away with a heavy hand and an even heavier heart.

Astrid fearfully read the runes sprawled across the floor, her heart thudding at each word.

"He's in a coma." The words felt sour and unwelcome in her mouth, and she would give anything to take them back. "A _coma_ … one that could kill him if he stays in it long enough."

The words took a moment to settle in around them.

"What can I do?" Stoick suddenly demanded, turning to Gothi with urgency. "There must be other treatments? Other medicines?"

Gothi only shook her head, looking ten years older and sorrow-filled as she turned away. Stoick gathered his head in his hands and started to pace, shoulders trembling as the worried father's grief began to sink in and take its toll from the past few days.

Hiccup's body lay on the bed where they could touch it, but his soul was lost somewhere they couldn't see. And as much as they wanted to rescue him from his gripping fate, none of them could, rendered useless by the severity of his injuries.

The darkness was closing in on them, and it looked like Hiccup was the first to be swallowed.

* * *

 **…** **sorry not sorryyyyyyyyyyy.**

 **On that dramatic note, I know it's a bit of a slow chapter but I promise the next one will pick up some speed. I hope you're enjoying it so far, and don't forget to tell me what you might want for chapter two! Thanks for reading, and please review! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for all the feedback and condolences about my grandma, you guys. :) It means so much. Enjoy chapter two (I think you'll like how I replaced the Riders' "dream worlds" from _Darkest Night_ in here) and please leave a review on your way out! :D**

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

Hiccup was being held somewhere dark and grim, the shadows around him constantly lurching out and trying to attack. He tried to run, but his legs couldn't seem to move fast enough. He tried to shout for help, but there was no one there to answer. It was a depressing battle that he couldn't seem to win.

So, even as strange as what happened next was like, he was glad for the change of scenery.

One moment he was running away from the darkness chasing him, feeling himself grow weaker by the minute as his strength was sapped, the next he was in a bright meadow, lying prostrate in the dirt while facing an open sky. He blinked, trying to get a sense of his surrounds. A moment later, he used an elbow to prop himself up when suddenly a hand grasped down on his left shoulder, and he jolted as he looked up to see who its owner was.

To his ultimate surprise -and shock- it was Viggo who stood beside him, his hand stretched out halfway as he smiled down at Hiccup. "Hiccup," he said, eyes dancing with humor. "Miss me?"

Hiccup slowly picked himself up the ground, wide-eyed. All the words that came out of his mouth were nothing more than a stutter. "But y-you were… I-I thought you had… but… are you-"

"Dead? Yes, I am." Viggo sighed, his hand falling back to his side. "A disappointment to both of us, really. But spare me the condolences."

"But how? Why? Where are we?" Hiccup squinted, trying to remember the last thing that had happened to him. There was fire, pain, and then… nothing. Looking back up at Viggo's stone expression, he grew worried. If Viggo was dead and he could see him-

"Am _I_ dead?"

"Hiccup Haddock, dead? Not a chance." Viggo's hands pressed together in front of him, and a shadow crossed his expression. "But if you don't listen to what I have to say, you soon will be. See, Hiccup, I'll try to put this as lightly as I can." His tone turned flat. "You're in a coma. I'm not here – not really – but what I say is very much real." He paused, making sure he had Hiccup's full attention. Once he saw that he did, he continued. "Right now, you're trapped in your mind, and personally I wouldn't like to stick around much longer to find out what's lurking in here. Dark things can come out of one's imagination, Hiccup. Very dark things. "

"Wait. _What?"_ Incredulous, Hiccup's mind raced for an explanation, but none came. "I'm in a… in a _coma?_ You're not real, and my memories can… what? Come to life?"

"Things, or people, _born_ out of your memories, but yes," Viggo agreed, but then added, "and they can hurt you as well."

 _"_ _Hurt_ me?"

"Yes. Hurt you, kill you, all of that and more." He sighed. "Hiccup, I don't have much time left. I've warned you the best that I can, but I'm afraid it might not be enough."

"Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean, you don't have much time left? What's there to warn me about?"

Viggo's jaw tightened. "In the middle of all your painful recollections and experiences, I find myself to be one of the better parts of your memories, Hiccup. I have no intention of hurting you, unlike other creatures in here. But only you can make them go away, and your life is in danger until you do. Understand?"

"I-I-I don't know." Hiccup swallowed. "So…so they _can_ hurt me? And that's… real?"

"Very much. What's also real is that they can kill you, too. And if you die in here…" Viggo let out a dry laugh. "You die in real life as well." His smile tightened, and he nodded. "Best of luck, Hiccup Haddock. Let's see if you survive long enough to wake up." His body began to shimmer and glow like a mirage and, before Hiccup knew it, he was gone.

…which left himself sttranded, alone, and vulnerable, feeling completely unprepared for what he was about to face. This wasn't a dream he could wake up from. Or rather, it _was,_ but it was a dream he was no longer in control of. It was a dark dream, and he could be killed off at any moment if he wasn't ready.

Closing his eyes, Hiccup wondered how he was going to get out of this one.

* * *

"Anything?"

Stoick looked up at Astrid as she walked into the room, shaking his head with a heavy sigh. "Nothing. He hasn't moved since we brought him over from Gothi's."

"Oh. Well, at least he's not any worse," the blonde offered, setting down a cup of water next to Hiccup's bedside for Stoick to drink. Pausing before she pulled away, she sighed. "Chief, you haven't eaten anything in two days. You drink hardly anything. You don't go outside. Not to mention, you refuse to sleep until Hiccup wakes up."

Stoick tensed and looked away.

Astrid shook her head. "I know it's hard. I'm just as worried as you are, but… do you think Hiccup would want this? There's still Dragon Flyers out there, and right now, Hiccup's…. incapacitated. We need a leader, Chief, and you can be one."

Stoick looked up at her, brow furrowed and bloodshot eyes swimming. "No," he said shortly. "I'm sorry, Astrid, but this is my son we're talking about. I'm not taking any chances until I know he'll be alright. He _has_ to be alright." The chief's head bowed, and then his fists clenched as he looked up again. "I'll kill those good-for-nothing Dragon Flyers. I'll tear them apart limb to limb! Picking on a boy when they should've faced on a man. He's only nineteen, Astrid! For Thor's sake – _nineteen._ "

Astrid could only watch in a stunned silence as the Chief melted back into his chair.

"It just isn't right, lass," he murmured. "It's just not right."

She didn't say anything, but only nodded as she looked back over at Hiccup's limp form on the bed. She agreed with everything Stoick had said… it just wasn't right. It wasn't right, and those Flyers were going to pay for it.

* * *

The Terrible Terrors hadn't seemed dangerous from a distance. At least, not at first. They were among the more gentler kinds of dragons and Hiccup hadn't thought twice about approaching them (a mistake) before it was too late.

Now, he ran through what looked like the Edge's forest, panting heavily as a swarm of Terrors chased him down. What they lacked for in size they made up for in speed, and Hiccup was quickly losing momentum. He'd actually started to fear for his life.

 _If you die in here… you die in real life as well,_ Viggo's words echoed in his mind.

 _Great,_ he thought back sarcastically. _Very encouraging words. Thanks._

He shook his head, wiping off the sweat that was gathering on his brow. This… this was ridiculous. How could all this be happening when he was really in a coma that he couldn't wake from? Now he had to fight off his darkest dreams, full of all kinds of creatures that were harmless on an ordinary basis. It wasn't the idea he'd had of a quiet week on Berk that he wanted.

And thinking of all the nightmarish things he'd experienced in the past, he did not look forward to what the future held for him.

Suddenly, the trees came to a stop around him and he found himself nearly falling over the side of the cliff. With a gasp, Hiccup steadied himself and stepped back, looking around for another route to avoid the quickly-approaching Terrible Terrors. But it seemed as if his "dream world" was against him, and the scenery was constantly changing as he made a move to escape.

He could hear the tiny dragons yapping behind him as they approached his spot, and that's when he knew what he had to do.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Hiccup closed his eyes and fought for the last of his nerves to stay calm. Before he could stall any longer, he took a step forward and walked off the side of the cliff.

* * *

Stoick had just been drowsing off when a violent tremor of Hiccup's body startled him awake. The sleep-deprived Chief snapped back to attention and rubbed his eyes, trying to get a better view of his son.

As he looked closer, he saw that Hiccup's entire body was convulsing and shivers wracked against his limbs as he flailed in his bed covers. It seemed that Hiccup didn't have any control of what was happening, his mind somewhere else but his body now in control.

Astrid had long gone home for the night, as had the other riders who'd visited during the day, and Toothless was asleep downstairs. Gothi was back in her hut. Stoick knew he couldn't handle this on his own and that he needed help. He didn't know how to deal with this on his own.

"Toothless!" he yelled, rushing to the other side of the room to throw open the door. A snort was heard from downstairs before the dragon grunted, slowly getting to his feet. "Get Gothi!" Stoick boomed, eyeing his son fearfully as the boy continued to thrash. "Something's wrong with Hiccup!"

* * *

Hiccup was falling… something his body did not agree with.

To be fair, the drop hadn't _looked_ that far down. Twenty feet, give or take. Nothing Hiccup couldn't get away from without a broken limb or two. But this whole new universe seemed to enjoy playing tricks on him, and twenty feet soon turned into twenty yards. Then twenty more, until the rushing world was all he knew.

It soon occurred to Hiccup that he wouldn't _stop_ falling unless he did something.

Peeking open his eyes, he tried to concentrate despite the roaring wind around him. He looked at the cliff beside him and searched for a broken root or branch he could latch onto, but the world was moving so fast he could barely see anything. He had to close his eyes again to settle his dizziness.

 _Okay. Okay, you're falling, Hiccup, so what do you do? You find a way out before you hit something._

An idea came to him.

This was _his_ dream. His mind. It wasn't like he had _no_ control over it, right? He could imagine his way out of this. All he had to do was concentrate. But that was easier said than done, seeing that he was falling even quicker now and would probably hit the ocean at any moment.

"Wait," Hiccup said to himself, opening his eyes for a brief second. "I'm falling because I think I'm supposed to be falling. I did just fall off a cliff, after all. But what if…" Closing his eyes again, he concentrated on what he wanted to see. The dizzying sensation of falling soon melted away and he opened his eyes up to find himself back on Berk, sitting leisurely on a hill next to Toothless who was fast asleep.

Hiccup blinked, pinching his arm to make sure this was real and he wasn't dead. A flicker of pain, but no Valkyries came down from Valhalla to welcome him into the afterlife. He was very much, if not one hundred percent, alive.

So he _could_ control this world.

Laughing in disbelief, Hiccup shook his head. He might be able to survive this after all. At least long enough before he woke up. Still smiling, he turned to Toothless and a grin spread across his face as he shook the dragon awake. "C'mon, bud, let's try to find a way out of here. Right?"

The Night Fury grunted and his eyes slowly opened, pupils sharpening as they came into awareness. He yawned widely before turning to Hiccup with a sleepy smile. Then he suddenly brightened, wagging his body as he looked over his rider's shoulder.

Confused, Hiccup followed Toothless's gaze to a grove of trees a few dozen yards away, and he squinted to make out what his dragon was looking at. But it only took a moment to figure out what had the Night Fury so excited.

Because hidden in those trees, as impossible as it seemed, were even _more_ Night Furies. All watching him, all standing still, but all clearly there.

Hiccup blinked. "I'm dreaming."

Yes, he was.

"They aren't real."

But in the world he was in, they were.

Pushing himself to his feet, Hiccup started to panic again. Just because nothing was after him didn't necessarily mean he was going to _see_ nothing in this dream. As hard as he tried to imagine them away, they still remained. He realized he could only affect them so much.

Slowly, hesitantly, the first of the Night Furies stepped out of the patch of trees. Then it took a step forward. Then another.

Hiccup could wait no longer, paranoia getting the best of him. He practically jumped back into Toothless's saddle before he took off, not sparing another moment to let these 'Night Furies' (if they were Night Furies at all) to attack them.

"Fly, bud!" he yelled, and Toothless obediently soared faster through the blue morning air.

* * *

"Is he stable? Will he be all right?" Stoick demanded fearfully, still rather on the pale side from watching the seizure his son had just suffered from.

Gothi nodded tiredly before she grasped her cane tighter and drew a few more runes in the sand. Stoick read:

 _Hiccup is alright for now, but his head wound is worse than I thought. His condition most likely will get worse if he doesn't wake up soon._

Appalled, Stoick could only manage to ask, "Are more of these going to happen, Gothi?" Worry for his son was evident on his face. "Can we stop them?"

Gothi could only shrug. It didn't seem she knew much more than he did.

The anxious father ran a ragged hand down his face, sliding back down into his chair with slumped shoulders. Lines on his forehead that hadn't seemed so prominent before now were. "Gothi, is there anything else we can... treat him with? Medicines you haven't tried? Operations?"

Gothi looked down at the floor, and Stoick seemed to deflate.

But then Gothi's eyes lit up with an idea. The old woman started to draw more lines in the sand with her cane and Stoick, once realizing what was happening, leaned forward to read what it said: _One more procedure, but dangerous_. _Big risk. Maybe too big._

Stoick bit his lip, his mind exploring all the risks he'd make for his son. He'd try just about anything by now, but there was a limit somewhere. He had to make sure he wouldn't lose his boy. Toothless warbled sadly and eyed his unconscious rider, noticing the small amount of pallor left in his skin. Hiccup was running out of time- they could all see that. Right now, it was only a question of when he'd run out of it.

In a long, pensive minute, silence ruled the room. Then Stoick looked up. "What is it?" he finally asked.

Gothi released a silent sigh, and started to draw her runes once more.

* * *

They'd been flying for over an hour and Hiccup was relieved the wild Night Furies hadn't followed them. If they had, he wouldn't be sure how to lose them. It wasn't like he'd fought against other Night Furies before. Just the idea of it sent a shiver down his spine.

He patted Toothless's side gratefully, and the dragon snorted back at him. At least he had Toothless to help him out, and he seemed normal enough under the circumstances. With their minds working together, they might just be able to find a way out of this world after all.

So lost in his thoughts, it wasn't until the nets were being thrown at them did Hiccup finally realize they were being attacked. Looking down at the dozens of ships that had suddenly appeared below them, his heart dropped as he spotted the Hunters' emblem on the flags. No...this wasn't supposed to happen. Not yet.

Toothless's eyes flared up in alarm and he struggled to maneuver around the incoming nets. He was doing well, too, when a bola then came out of nowhere and wrapped itself around the Night Fury's tail. Screeching, Toothless went down, pulling his rider along with him.

"No, no, no, no, no!" cried Hiccup, struggling to remove the bola so that they could fly away to safety. But it was no use. Toothless wouldn't stop flailing, the bola wouldn't come off, and they were just about to hit the water. It was time for his last resort. Closing his eyes, Hiccup tried to imagine himself somewhere else – _anywhere_ else – yet his descent remained the same.

All that was left to do was hold his breath and brace for impact.

He did, and the hard thud came.

In a jolt, both rider and smashed through the water's surface and plummeted down into the cold depths below. Water roared in Hiccup's ears and silver bubbles rose and swirled all around them. His arms flailed to swim upwards but they felt like lead, unable to push himself to the surface. For a horrible moment, he couldn't find up. Water pressed against all sides of him and before he could stop himself, he breathed in. Salty water flooded his mouth and his throat caught on fire at the taste. He gasped out, panicked thoughts now centering towards how much he _didn't_ want to die.

 _Please don't let me die. Please don't. Not today._

Odin seemed to be listening to his prayers, for the next moment he was yanked upwards by the back of his shirt and pulled rather roughly onto the deck of a ship. Lungs burning, Hiccup coughed and coughed until he could cough no more, feeling a dull ache pound against his stomach. He could _breathe._

That was when he looked up.

With a start, he saw Ryker looming above him, arms crossed with a cold expression plastered across his face. "Well, well, if it isn't Hiccup Haddock who found his way inside my nets," he mused, brow furrowing as he eyed the Dragon Rider with distaste. "The man responsible for my death."

In one swift motion, he pulled out his sword from its sheath and sliced the air just below Hiccup's throat.

"And now, I guess I'm just about to be responsible for his."

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING: warrior-of-httyd, girlwithanimagination03, Nightfurylover1112, Roxy190, ElenaTheHyperactiveFangirl14, 851996, Astrid E Lokison (Guest), FanWriter02, AHeartForStories, animalsarepeopletoo, NightFuryTL, katurdi, SweetWritingIsMyLife, Jokermask18, Hiccstridlover14 (Guest), The Wizard Rider, and GriffTalon! Please do review again! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the wait – was busy with studying, then I injured my ankle… and then had to post another fic for my 1-year-anniversary on FanFiction. (Another hurt Hiccup fic- this time, heatstroke- called** _ **Hot Blooded.**_ **Check it out!)**

 **Anyway, THANK YOU for your patience, and I hope you like the chapter! Please review!**

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

"You don't want to do this," Hiccup warned Ryker, slowly picking himself up from the ground and wiping away the water that was adhered to his forehead. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Toothless in nets beside him, the dragon barely able to move with several Hunters pointing spears at him. He wished he could help him out, but there was no time. He just hoped Toothless could last long enough for them to escape.

Ryker grinned, fingering the sword in his hand. "And why not? What reason do I have to spare you?"

 _Good point,_ Hiccup thought, but he shook his head. "That's not important. What _is_ important is doing the right thing."

The older man laughed, before he slid his sword back into its sheath. "Just what I thought – your proposals were never very good in the first place. But don't worry, Hiccup Haddock. I'm not going to kill you. Not yet, anyway. First, I'm going to show you all the pain and suffering that I've had to go through ever since you killed me."

"For the last time, Ryker… I didn't kill you!" Hiccup exasperated. Why was he always the one to blame? "You were the one that caused your own death. Whatever actions you choose, choices you make, you have to live with their mistakes."

In moments, Ryker's sword was back under his chin and the Hunter's steely gaze was suddenly all he could focus on.

"Don't test me, boy," Ryker warned. "You'll soon find I'm _far_ from forgiving." He pulled his sword away, glowering again before he tossed a glance behind his shoulder. "Take him below and put him in a cage. I'll figure out what to do with him after that."

Hiccup suddenly found himself being grabbed roughly from behind, and though he struggled to pull away towards Toothless and freedom, it was no use. They were just too strong. He could only let himself be dragged across the deck and practically be tossed underboard to where the dragon cages were, praying for a miracle.

"C'mon, Hiccup. Think. It's not real, it's not real," he said to himself, wincing at the jab of pain in his side as one of the guards pushed him into his new prison.

But as the doors slammed shut behind him, he knew it certainly _felt_ real. He could see people, feel pain, experience emotions. Oh, and yes, he reminded himself. He was perfectly capable of dying too.

Pressing his back against the cell wall, he closed his eyes. _What now?_ He was stuck inside his head, captured by one of his greatest enemies with no one there to help him, and nothing to aid his escape. Toothless was Thor knew where, and Ryker was either planning to torture or kill him once he was done deciding.

The darkest part of the dream had come.

Sighing, he opened his eyes back up… and was startled to see _Astrid_ standing in front of him, smiling and shaking her head. "Hiccup, what are you doing?" she asked, rolling her eyes when he gaped at her. "You can't give up yet. You at least have to try to escape."

"A-Astrid?"

"Of course. Who else would I be?"

Hiccup's mouth felt dry, forcing a swallow. "Are you… are you… just my imagination? Or are you…?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm not actually here, Hiccup. But I'm a part of you that wants to help. I just thought appearing to you in this form would be more comfortable." Her blue eyes flashed, and she put her hands on her hips. "Alright, now listen closely. You don't have much time before Ryker comes back, so you have to escape before that happens." She started to pace, brow furrowed in thought. "Maybe you could imagine something that would be useful in getting out of here… or maybe cause Ryker to disappear once he gets here…?"

Hiccup blinked. "Astrid, I can't do any of that. My… my mind's not working as it should be. At least, not anymore."

Astrid stopped her pacing and turned to him. Her blue eyes were wide with worry. "You mean, you can't _do_ anything anymore?"

Hiccup shook his head.

Astrid pursed her lips and pinched her brow. "That isn't good, Hiccup. That's…that's the opposite of good... oh no…"

"What do you mean, 'oh no'? What's going on?"

Astrid looked back up at him, her expression forlorn. "It means you're getting weaker, Hiccup. In this world… and in the real one, too. But if you're already this bad, then…" She trailed off, swallowing. "I wouldn't worry too much about Ryker anymore."

Hiccup was alarmed. "No, no. I can stop this. I _will_ stop it. Right?"

She ran her hands through her hair, shaking her head. "I-I don't know, Hiccup. You have to get some strength back first. Some… some kind of energy to help you. It won't last you long, but it'll last long enough to get out of here and find your way out."

"Wait. There's a way out?" Hiccup's expression flooded with relief. "Is-is it a door, or something? Or a passageway back to the real world? That way I could wake up and finally get back." Hope started to bud inside him once more.

But Astrid bit her lip. "I honestly don't know, Hiccup. Everyone has their way out, but they're always different. And they're not always pleasant. If you don't find it soon, though…"

"Then what?"

Astrid looked at him desperately. "Just please find it, Hiccup. Please. You need to live."

Nodding, Hiccup's mind raced for a solution. There had to be a way out of here, even if he couldn't control much of anything anymore. He'd gotten out of scrapes tougher than this _without_ being in a dream world. So, what was so hard about it?

He looked back up at Astrid, who was watching him intently in wait for an answer. He opened his mouth to speak, but the world suddenly felt dizzy and he had to steady himself against the wall. That was odd. He was feeling fine just a minute ago, but now it was like he was going to be sick.

"Hiccup?" Astrid's voice came from beside him, and her arm reached out to touch his shoulder. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Hiccup was really feeling awful. The world was spinning, and he felt more than lightheaded. The sensation seemed to linger for what seemed like forever, but there was nowhere to look for a release. Something was pulling him away from the world. Some kind of darkness. Fighting against it, he barely managed to escape before his eyes snapped back open.

The pain subsided, and he gasped out, leaning against the wall with a trail of sweat running down his neck. Astrid grasped his arms and helped him steady, looking more than concerned by now.

"Hiccup, you have to listen to me. We need to get you out of here right now or else you're going to die. Hiccup? Hiccup, are you listening?"

"'M listening," Hiccup breathed, though still struggling to regain his breath.

Astrid watched him with concern. "Are you alright?"

"I… I don't know."

"I knew you needed help."

"No, no, I'm okay… really."

"No, you're not. But," Astrid sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I can't help you since I'm not actually here, but I _can_ help you find a way out of here, at least, before you get any worse."

Coughing into his fist, Hiccup squinted. "Alright. What do we have to do?"

Astrid folded her arms. "Okay. If you want to imagine things again, first thing's first…"

* * *

"We have to find _what?"_ Fishlegs' eyes re-scanned the paper he was holding, looking slightly baffled as he read off the list of ingredients. "Gothi, I don't even know what half these things are. How are you certain this will cure Hiccup?"

Gothi stomped her cane impatiently before she drew lines in the sand once more. _It creates a special medicine that will wake Hiccup's body back up and re-start his mind. The ingredients are rare but findable. They are worth the risk._

"But isn't this whole thing… dangerous, though, Gothi?" inquired Astrid. She cast a worried glance at Hiccup who was lying on his bed, looking all too pale and lifeless in the sunlight. If not for the faint rise and fall of his chest, she would've mistaken him as dead.

Gothi sighed and nodded. _The medicine is dangerous,_ her symbols read. _It may go wrong if it's not made correctly._

Stoick's eyes widened, and the blood started to drain from his face. " _How_ wrong?"

There was a moment of pause before the next words were written. _There is a possibility it might stop his heart._

"Stop his… no," said Stoick, aghast.

"See? I knew this wasn't worth it!" Snotlout protested. "I know Hiccup's in a coma, and I know I'm not always on the best of terms with him, but… but I'm not doing anything that might _kill_ him! That's suicide!"

"For once, I agree with Snotlout," Fishlegs mumbled. "It's not in our place to decide if Hiccup lives or not."

"You're right. It's not." Stoick looked down at the riders, feeling an even heavier burden now placed on his shoulders. But it was for the best, and it was a decision he had to make. "It's mine." He turned to Gothi. "We'll get whatever you need to make that medicine, Gothi. If there's even a chance it'll cure him, I'll take it. Either way, my son's going to die."

Looking back at Hiccup, they all were reminded of how weak the boy was becoming. He hadn't eaten anything during the past three days of his slumber, and the little amount of water they'd forced down his throat was far from enough.

It was time for action.

"Do it," Stoick ordered the teens. "Or I will."

Nodding slowly, the riders started to prepare for takeoff.

* * *

Hiccup's ears twitched as he heard the hatch outside his cell open, and a loud voice that could only belong to Ryker barked out, "Everyone get out of here. Now! When I'm through with the boy, you won't want to be around to see him."

The noises of guards scurrying away echoed through the halls.

Hiccup sighed, rubbing his brow. _Torture, huh?_ he thought. _Sounds fun._

But, reminding himself once again of the plan, a little of the worry was able to creep away.

Two large feet dropped down from the hatch onto the floor below, and any remaining guards had soon removed themselves from Hiccup's part of the ship. Hiccup could only stand and watch as the looming shadow drew nearer to his cell, before Ryker himself came into view, smiling. "Glad to see you didn't run off on me, Hiccup. I seem to recall that many times before, you've left before we had the chance to get started."

"What, and miss all this?" Hiccup asked, gesturing to the empty cells around them. "No, I would never."

Ryker quirked an eyebrow. "I would've thought you would've been more fearful to be captured by _me."_

"I guess that I just always knew this day would come, so I've been prepared." Hiccup pushed himself from the wall and walked towards the bars that lined his prison, nodding. "Well, _mostly_ prepared. I just don't think you're going to hurt me."

"And why not?"

"Because I have something you don't."

Ryker looked annoyed. "You're in a cell, boy, and there was nothing on you when I shot you down. I wouldn't say you had much of anything."

"That's where you're wrong. Just because you don't see something doesn't mean it's not there." Hiccup smiled, looking over into the corner of his cell. "I didn't know that such a small confinement could actually turn out to be so large. If you looked around more, these places are handy for storing things that would take up too much room in real life."

"Well, we _are_ in that cursed head of yours," Ryker snapped, before he drew out his sword. "Now, enough with these games. You're starting to sound like my brother. What are you playing at, Hiccup Haddock? Why could you possibly know that I don't?"

"I never knew how protective Night Furies were until recently," Hiccup said. "All dragons are loyal, but a Night Fury is… well, they're almost unbelievable. Once you earn their trust, you can't _believe_ what they'll do for you. Or… how far they'll go to rescue you."

Ryker was beginning to look uneasy, and he leaned in closer to Hiccup's cell. "If you think for one minute that you could actually sneak any of those beasts in here, then-"

" _Sneak_ one in? How could I do that? I've been locked up in here the whole time!" Hiccup shook his head. "But what you said before was true: we _are_ in my head. Which means, I can control what happens in here, and you can't. You're just… the part of me that wants to die."

Hiccup nodded to the corner of his cell.

"It's alright. You can come out now. We're ready."

Slowly, the first dragon stepped out of the shadows… a Night Fury. One of the ones that had been on Berk with Hiccup and Toothless before. And then another one stepped out. And then another.

It hadn't taken much concentration to bring them here, Hiccup remembered, especially since he'd seen them before. With Astrid's help, he'd been able to bend the cage in a way that allowed them to stay hidden until they were ready to come out and fight if need be. Though it had drained him from most of his energy, it was worth it in the end.

Ryker paled. "W-what? That's impossible. All the Night Furies have died out!"

"Amazing thing, the mind," Hiccup reminded. "See, when you're dreaming, the part of your brain that senses weird things turns off, and you can imagine just about whatever you want to. Including extinct creatures." He nodded at the dragons. "Including Night Furies."

Ryker was trembling with rage, his teeth bared and fists clenched. "You'll pay for this, Hiccup Haddock. One day or another, I'll hunt you down and make sure that you pay for _everything_ you've ever done against me."

"Well, I'll keep that in mind." Hiccup glanced at the Night Furies. "Let's get out of here, huh? Then let's go rescue my dragon."

Now it was Ryker who was forced to watch as his entire plan turned into flames and the cells were blasted open by a group of Night Furies and a very determined Haddock.

* * *

Hiccup waved as the Night Furies flew off into the blue skies towards Berk, all looking elegant and practically weightless as they soared away.

They'd managed to escape the Dragon Hunter ship with little difficulty, remaining unscathed throughout the crossfire. With the last of Hiccup's strength, he'd found Toothless tied up to the mast and cut him free, taking off with the other Night Furies once he was saddled up.

"I'm glad you're alright, bud," Hiccup panted, rubbing Toothless's ear and giving a small smile as they flew off.

The dragon rumbled affectionately, flashing back a white grin.

It was only seconds later that the exhaustion of the day settled back on him. His head throbbed and his stomach felt sick. Fatigue swept through him, and he wished that he was grounded instead of in mid-air, which seemed to only make it worse.

But, no. There was no time to be weak. He had to find his way out of this dream world because if not, he'd die, and he wasn't about to give up yet.

As they flew, the sick feeling seemed to only worsen. His dizzy spell mimicked the one he'd had earlier in his cell, and when he looked down at his hands, he realized that something was off about them. More than off about them.

They were _fading._

Gasping, Hiccup pulled back on Toothless and the dragon slowed to a hover, grunting in concern.

Hiccup held his hands out for another examination and watched as they seemed to dim before his eyes. It was almost like they were becoming more see-through by the second. And the more he faded, the weaker became.

This was just like Astrid had said.

"Toothless," he whispered, his voice suddenly raspy, "we have to…" The world shimmered around him, and he struggled to think of what to do next. "We h-have to…"

That was all his mind was able to take. The world turned dark and he found himself back in darkness again. The last thing he could feel was slipping off of Toothless and falling backward in the air, starting to plummet downwards.

Toothless shrieked, but nothing was done as the duo plunged to their demise.

They were falling... and they were going to die.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

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	4. Chapter 4

**I'M SORRY IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I LAST UPDATED. But nope, I'm not one of those authors who abandons their fics and never contacts anyone again. (At least for this story, HEHEHEHE) I know you guys are probably tired of waiting and I'm truly sorry about that. I've just been so busy with working and school lately, and then I kind of gave myself a concussion (I LITERALLY SLAMMED A DOOR AGAINST MY HEAD, I'M VERY ACCIDENT PRONE). And then it was just my birthday on Labor Day, and yadadada.** **I REALLY AM SORRY!** **Also, I've really lost my inspiration to write in the HTTYD fandom, so I'm not sure how much I'll be updating in the future. But I WILL finish this fic.**

 **PLEASE EXCUSE ANY WEIRDNESS ABOUT THIS CHAPTER- I honestly forget a lot of stuff that's happened in the past of this story so… just bear with me. :D**

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

 _I know I must still be dreaming,_ Hiccup thought as he opened his eyes. _Because I know that there's no way that I could be on an island overpopulated by wild chickens._

He blinked, willing the image to go away. His vision swam, but the chickens around him remained. One even eyed him rather curiously.

Hiccup shuddered; he'd never been as fond of chickens as Tuffnut had.

Pressing a hand to his aching head, he took a moment to recollect his thoughts. What was going on? Where was he? The last thing he remembered was flying Toothless, starting to feel sick, and then falling…

The color drained from his face. How could he have forgotten?

"Toothless!"

He stumbled to his feet, but his vision swayed on the way up. Something was seriously wrong with him, he realized. But finding Toothless was just more important. They'd been separated in the crash and, truthfully, he didn't much want to be by himself right now with all these chickens around him.

"Toothless!" he called again, cupping his hands around his mouth to magnify the sound.

It was a big island, he realized with dismay, and it was going to take a while to navigate it. It was covered with rocks, caves, and dirt, much like Dark Deep. He vaguely wondered how so many chickens could survive on such little food, but quickly brushed the thought aside. It was a dream world - not everything had to make sense.

His only concern was Toothless now. Without a dragon, he was stuck. And he _needed_ to find a way out of here.

"TOOTHLESS, WHERE ARE YOU?" he tried again, and avoided stepping on a few chickens as he passed. They looked up at him with irritated looks, before returning to pecking at the ground in search of food.

Hiccup sighed, looking up at the sky. It was still midday, same as it had been before. Time wasn't real in his dream world, he guessed. He was stuck in the same hour until his brain said otherwise.

As he stumbled around the rocky area, still calling for his dragon, he started to realize that maybe Toothless wasn't here after all. Maybe the reason why he was so weak was that he had been constantly imagining Toothless and the other dragons up. Hopefully, all he needed was a rest before he was able to conjure Toothless back up again.

It seemed like a good plan...

...and then he heard the loud, thundering growl behind him.

Oh, yes. This dream world wasn't finished with him yet.

Hiccup could hardly believe his eyes as he turned around and faced the monster that had haunted his dreams for years.

The Red Death.

* * *

"Does Hiccup look a little tense to you?"

Gothi eyed Hiccup who laid on the bed, unmoving. She cocked an eyebrow up at Stoick, and then she shook her head.

"Are you sure, Gothi? He looks as pale as a sheet… isn't there anything more you can do for him? Give him some kind of medicine to make him more... comfortable?"

Again, Gothi shook her head.

Stoick sighed, falling back into his seat. This feeling of hopelessness that filled him… it was unsettling. More often than not, he was able to make the situation better somehow. That was why he was the Chief of Berk.

But how could he have such a great title when he couldn't even help his own _son_?

His eyes fell back to Hiccup on the bed. The boy's breathing was getting more uneven, and he knew he didn't have much time left. Glancing out the window, he hoped that the riders would get back soon with all the ingredients.

If not... Hiccup was in serious trouble.

* * *

It looked like something out of a horror story. For months - _years -_ after the Red Death incident, Hiccup had had nightmare after nightmare of facing this monster again, but never had he _dreamed_ that he'd actually have to fight it.

Only with the help of Toothless had he beaten her to begin with. But now that Toothless was gone, he was alone and injured, and the darkest parts of his mind were coming back to torment him, he had no idea how he was supposed to survive.

The Red Death, towering over him like some kind of angry mountain, let out a roar before bowing its head to face Hiccup straight on.

Fear squeezed Hiccup's heart. He could feel himself shaking and wanted to scream and run away at the same time, but could do neither. All he could do was watch as the queen dragon opened her mouth up again, preparing to fire and kill.

How had this happened? How was he going to die so _easily_?

The Red Death was a thing of his past, something he promised that would never happen again. Something he'd locked far away in his mind and thrown out the key. But that door had been opened now, and he was about to pay the price.

Trembling where he stood, Hiccup looked up to face the beast as she prepared to destroy him once and for all.

He closed his eyes and waited for the end to arrive.

A moment passed, and then another. Time was slowing down when suddenly there was a faint voice in his ear.

" _Hiccup!"_

His eyes slightly lifted open.

" _Hiccup, go to your right! Hurry, Hiccup - now!"_

Somehow, the feeling in his legs was restored. As he opened his eyes and saw just how close he was to the Red Death killing him, Hiccup decided to himself that he wasn't ready to die yet. He started running to the right, just as the voice had ordered him to.

 _Dad could do this. Astrid could do this. The other riders could do this._

 _ **You can do this.**_

With a screeching roar, the Red Death let out its fire, blasting the area where Hiccup had just stood. He threw his arms over his head in protection as he ducked behind rocks on his way to safety, panting heavily when he finally was able to stop running, leaning against a boulder.

Suddenly, a figure slid down next to him, and Hiccup looked up. He was shocked to find that it was Astrid.

"Miss me?" she asked him, a dangerous gleam to her eye.

Hiccup blinked a few times before realizing that she was real. "Astrid! Er, I mean whoever you are... what are you doing here?"

"Apparently saving your life, seeing as you almost got killed back there," Astrid said with a sigh. "You idiot - you were about to die! If I hadn't shouted for you to run, you'd have been burnt to a crisp!"

Hiccup's eyes widened. "You were the one who said that? I thought it was…" Trailing off, he shook his head. No, it couldn't have been. Not while he was trapped inside this world.

"Who?" Astrid pushed.

Hiccup shrugged. "I just thought it was… my dad."

Astrid looked puzzled for a moment, before she slowly nodded. "That does make sense. You and your father have a strong connection. I could change my form and become him if you wanted me to?"

Hiccup shook his head, giving a small smile. "No, no, it's okay. I'm… good."

Astrid blew a blonde tuft of hair out of her eyes. "Yeah, well, for now, anyway. The Red Death is still out there and she wants blood. _Your_ blood. So…" She held his gaze for a long moment. "What are we going to do?"

"Wait. You're asking... me?"

"We _are_ in your head, dummy. I'm just the part of you that wants to live."

"The part of me that wants to live must not be very polite, then."

"Oh, be quiet. I'm still your best shot."

"I know, but still. Shouldn't you know _how_ I'm supposed to fight back?"

"Some things you have to do yourself. Like, fight that dragon out there. I'll be with you in battle, but we're going to have to use _your_ plan." She grabbed his shoulders, looking at him urgently. "Think, Hiccup! If this happened in real life, what would you do? How would you strategize?"

Hiccup blinked, the wheels in his mind turning.

 _What would he do…._

 _Well, it depended on who was there to help him out, what their target was, and how much they wanted to hurt it… and since it was such a big dragon, it didn't have as much agility as he did... but then again, its skin was nearly impenetrable… it was only fireproof from the inside… the inside…_

 _The inside!_

Hiccup looked back up to Astrid, now filled with a new sense of energy.

"How do you feel about fire?"

* * *

"WE'VE GOT IT!"

Toothless's head snapped up in alarm just as the hut's door was slammed open and Snotlout pushed himself in, holding out the basket of ingredients in a flash of valor. "Just in time, as always!"

From behind Snotlout, the other riders stumbled in, all looking flushed and worried. Astrid maneuvered her way past the others and slip around Snotlout, desperate to find out how Hiccup was doing. "Is he okay? He's still alive?"

Stoick pushed himself up from his seat and nodded grimly. "For now, but I'm not sure how much time is left. Hiccup hasn't had any more seizures, but his breathing's gotten a lot worse. If it deteriorates even more…"

"It _won't,_ Chief," Fishlegs assured him, stepping past Snotlout. "We got everything in time. Right, Gothi? What do we do next?"

From where she stood, Gothi held out a bowl. It was clear of her meaning: _Mix the ingredients._

And so the riders got to work.

* * *

"Ready?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup looked down at his hands. "Not really."

"This _was_ your idea."

"I know, but…" Hiccup sighed, shaking his head. He looked back up, all while trying his best to put on a brave face. _Just for a little while longer. Just until I can get out of here._

With the little strength he had left, Hiccup had managed to conjure up two blades and two torches, both divided among him and Astrid. Their plan was to somehow torch the inside of the beast, but if things got messy, they'd need some sort of weapon to protect them. That's where the knives came in.

Otherwise, the rest would come from luck and skill.

"We've got one shot at this, Hiccup. You need to focus- be prepared for anything," Astrid said, which only proceeded to make him feel even worse.

But Hiccup wasn't backing down now.

Not _ever._

"Let's do this," he said, and they both took off, leaping out from behind the rocks and charging forward with their blades and torches out in front of them. The Red Death roared in fury as it caught sight of them, releasing a blast of fire their way. The two separated and ducked behind rocks to avoid the blow, and Hiccup was relieved to see that he'd escaped with no burns.

Jumping out from behind the rock once again, he ran forward, blindly, with his legs having a mind of their own. There was no time for fear, for hesitation. He needed to focus. This beast was only a piece of his imagination - nothing more than a nightmare - and the only way to beat it was to _believe_ that he could.

Letting out a battle cry as he charged forward, he approached the Red Death, who looked a little distracted now that Astrid was relentlessly slicing at it with her knife before she danced around in its line of vision.

Taking advantage of that moment, Hiccup's eyes darted around for some sort of way to get up to the Red Death's mouth.

 _The... the rocks._

He head swerved around as he looked for a structure tall enough to reach the monster's head, and because the island was so thankfully rocky, it didn't take long to find one. "Cover me!" he yelled to Astrid as he raced towards to the structure, and was relieved when he heard a yell of approval back.

This was it.

This was the chance he would get to fight off the Red Death once and for all.

* * *

"Is it ready yet? Can't you work any faster?" Stoick demanded, hovering around where Gothi and Astrid worked at grinding away the ingredients they'd just rounded up.

"One minute, Stoick," Astrid grunted back, almost done with shredding up the second to last ingredient. "We're almost there… _almost there…"_

"I know, but-"

Suddenly, there was a painful cry from the bed.

All head's snapped in the noise's direction, and Stoick was appalled to find Hiccup thrashing around in his cot, having no control over his seizing limbs. He rushed over to his son, the blood draining from his face. "Hiccup!" he cried.

"What's going on?" Snotlout whispered, looking horrified as he watched the scene from the corner. Toothless whined loudly and began to pace the floor, looking deeply distressed for his rider.

Astrid sucked in a breath. "It's Hiccup. He's dying."

* * *

Hiccup had never felt more alive.

Blood coursed through his limbs like bursts of energy, his legs felt like they could run for hours, and his heart pounded with a strong source of life. Facing his biggest fear was one thing, but actually getting to defeat it?

It was a whole new sense of freedom he hadn't felt in… forever.

He climbed his way up the tall rock pillar, probably looking less graceful than he actually felt, but his goal was still the same. Get to the top, throw his torch into the Red Death's mouth, and then his problem was solved.

 _If only life was ever that simple,_ a part of him thought.

But Hiccup ignored it, and continued racing up to face the Red Death.

* * *

"It's done! It's done!" Astrid yelled, and let Gothi take over as the woman quickly went to work in taking the paste they'd created and pouring it into some kind of makeshift needle.

"Well, hurry it up, then!" Stoick shouted as he struggled with the other riders to keep Hiccup from struggling on the bed. "He's still seizing! We need the medicine _right now!"_

* * *

He was at the top. The torch was clenched in his hand, and sweat rolled down his cheeks in pools of water. Right next to him was the Red Death, roaring as Astrid confused it by running around and dodging its attacks. Hiccup knew he needed to get its attention to fight it, and gritted his teeth as he stood atop the rock.

"HEY!" he shouted as loudly as he could.

He didn't expect everything after that to silence.

The Red Death stopped in its tracks, letting quiet fill the island, and then it slowly lifted its head up to look up at him. Its eyes narrowed as it faced him, and Hiccup could almost feel its smoky breath brush his cheeks.

Raising his torch, Hiccup prepared to throw it towards his target. The Red Death's mouth was still open and he knew he could make the shot if he calculated _just_ where to aim it. But the dragon was smarter than it looked, as he soon realized. Whipping its head around, the Red Death slammed itself into the rock pillar, and caused all the debris to fall apart before sending Hiccup himself spiraling up in the air.

"HICCUP!" Astrid yelled from below him.

Hiccup could only watch as he spiraled upwards to his doom.

* * *

Gothi had just finished filling up the needle. Astrid watched desperately from beside her as the old healer rushed over the Hiccup, preparing to administer his cure.

"Hurry!" Stoick yelled.

Gothi raised the needle.

* * *

Even though he knew he was going to die no matter what he did, Hiccup decided that he was still going to defeat that monster. No matter what the consequences. No matter if death was the penalty. Even if it wasn't worth anything to anyone else, it was worth something to _him_.

The torch was still miraculously on fire (a plus-side of being in this dream world) but he was falling at a speed he didn't know. The only way he could get the torch inside the Red Death's mouth was to go _into_ its mouth completely.

Gritting his teeth, Hiccup prepared himself as he fell towards the dragon, its mouth wide open, and held out his torch in preparation for the pain yet to come.

"EAT THIS, YOU UGLY BEAST!"

* * *

At that same moment, Gothi plunged the needle into Hiccup's chest.

* * *

And Hiccup fell into the monster's mouth.

* * *

 **...talk about the belly of the beast, huh? *laughs to self***

 **If anything doesn't make sense in here, I APOLOGIZE PROFUSELY! As I mentioned before, it's been a few months since I last updated and I forget quite a few details from the last chapters, haha. However, I WILL finish this fic, although the next update might take a little more time to come.**

 **Also, Hurricane Florence is coming DIRECTLY our way, and since I live in the designated hit area, I'll be getting some of the worst of it. There's even a chance the hurricane could come right down our street… yay… so if our power goes out, I'm not gonna be able to update for a bit! So hang tight, guys. And if you live in the danger zone, remember to BE SAFE!**

 **And now… SHOUTOUTS TO REVIEWERS WHO I HOPE DON'T HATE ME FOR TAKING SO LONG TO UPDATE: P-Artsypants, ThePhoenixGirl, ShineeFanForLife (Guest), harrypanther, Roxy190, Stella (Guest), Astrid Erica Lokison, Syra Nyth, SweenTheSaltine, Raineir Feralsome, katurdi, Scribblefoxx, Warrior-of-httyd, Romantica 21, JChttyd, AHeartForStories, Aspielady, Plasma Snow,** **leanneinoncillo0314, Pokey314, Skylar87, and Guest!**


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